X-ray interrogation system using multiple x-ray beams

ABSTRACT

An x-ray interrogation system having one or more x-ray beams interrogates an object (i.e., object). A structured source producing an array of x-ray micro-sources can be imaged onto the object. Each of the one or more beams may have a high resolution, such as for example a diameter of about 15 microns or less, at the surface of the object. The illuminating one or more micro-beams can be high resolution in one dimension and/or two dimensions, and can be directed at the object to illuminate the object. The incident beam that illuminates the object has an energy that is greater than the x-ray fluorescence energy.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/829,947, filed Dec. 3, 2017 which claims the priority benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 62/429,760, titled “Material Measurement Techniques Using Multiple X-Ray Micro-Beams,” filed on Dec. 3, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

X-ray techniques for analysis of various specimens have been used to determine internal structures and compositions. Techniques such as x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyze the elements present in an object, x-ray diffraction to analyze internal structures of an object, and other techniques may be employed.

To probe the properties of structures on a microscopic scale, one approach is to use a micro-focus x-ray source, imaged with x-ray optics to form a micron-scale x-ray illumination spot, or micro-beam, on the object under examination. When a particular position of the object is exposed, x-rays emerging from the object can be detected, and the properties of the object at that particular position (and only the illuminated position) may be analyzed.

To examine a larger surface and/or volume of an object, it can be useful to use multiple beams rather than a single beam. However, use of multiple beams to interrogate an object in current systems is impractical without a way to identify the signal detected with the individual beam that created it.

What is needed is an improved method for investigating larger surfaces and volumes of an object.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an array of x-ray beams used to investigate an object.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-section view of the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates an x-ray fluorescence generated from different depths of an object being interrogated.

FIG. 4 illustrates an object under interrogation under a three-dimensional volume.

FIG. 5 illustrates utilizing x-ray diffraction for interrogating an object.

FIG. 6 illustrates an interrogation system having multiple detector systems.

FIG. 7A illustrates a method for interrogating an object using fluorescence x-rays and FIG. 7B illustrates a method for interrogating an object using diffraction x-rays.

SUMMARY

The present technology provides an x-ray interrogation system having one or more x-ray beams to interrogate an object of an object. In some instances, a structured source producing an array of x-ray micro-sources can be imaged onto the object. In other embodiments, an x-ray source may illuminate a “beam splitting” grating that produces a set of self-replicating beams in space called a “Talbot Interference pattern” that may be used to illuminate the object. Each of the one or more beams may have a high resolution, such as for example a diameter of about 15 microns or less at the surface of the object. The illuminating one or more micro-beams can be high resolution in one dimension and/or two dimensions, and can be directed at the object to illuminate the object.

In some instances, a method is disclosed which performs spatially resolved x-ray fluorescence analysis. An x-ray excitation beam can be directed upon an object to generate fluorescent x-rays, wherein the x-ray excitation beam includes a planar array of x-ray micro-beams. The individual x-ray micro-beams each having a diameter smaller than 15 microns. The fluorescent x-rays can be imaged with an x-ray imaging system that includes an x-ray imaging optical system and an energy resolving and spatially resolving x-ray detector. The x-ray imaging optical system can collect fluorescent x-rays generated by an object when illuminated by the x-ray excitation beam positioned such that its object plane is coplanar with the plane of the planar array of microbeams within the depth of field of the x-ray imaging optical system. The energy resolving and spatially resolving x-ray detector positioned at the image plane of the x-ray optical imaging system.

In some instances, a method is disclosed which performs spatially resolved x-ray diffraction analysis. An incident x-ray beam is directed upon an object to generate diffracted x-rays. The incident x-ray beam includes an array of x-ray micro-beams, and the individual x-ray micro-beams each have a diameter smaller than 15 microns. Diffraction patterns can be recorded with a spatially resolving x-ray detector positioned a first distance away from the object. Additional diffraction patterns can be recorded by rotating the object relative to the incident beam.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present technology provides an x-ray interrogation system having one or more x-ray beams to interrogate an object. In some instances, a structured source producing an array of x-ray micro-sources can be imaged onto the object. In other embodiments, an x-ray source may illuminate a “beam splitting” grating that produces a set of self-replicating beams in space called a “Talbot Interference pattern” that may be used to illuminate the object. Each of the one or more beams may have a high resolution, such as for example a diameter of about 15 microns or less at the surface of the object. The illuminating one or more micro-beams can be high resolution in one dimension and/or two dimensions, and can be directed at the object to illuminate the object. The incident beam that illuminates the object will have an energy that is greater than or equal to the beam emerging from the object.

The present x-ray interrogation system is discussed herein as interrogating an object, while some references are made to interrogating a sample. It is intended that the terminology of “object” and “sample” is interchangeable.

The x-ray interrogation system may include an imaging system and a detector and may furthermore comprise one or more optics. The use of multiple micro-beams incident upon the sample can result in high resolution obtained at high throughputs, due to simultaneous acquisitions of x-rays from multiple small-diameter microbeams. In this way, the resolution of the system is not related to the overall diameter of the illuminating x-ray beam but instead can be determined by other properties of the imaging system, including the microbeam diameter, the optic(s) focal spot(s), and detector resolution.

The imaging system may include one or more optics. In some instances, the optic can be implemented as an achromatic optic having one or more quadric surfaces. The optic can include a mirror-based Wolter optic, which can include a parabolic mirror followed by a hyperbolic mirror which can focus an array of illuminated x-ray beams at a detector. In some embodiments, one or more x-ray focusing optics may be placed on the illumination beam side to image an array of micro-sources onto the sample.

An imaging x-ray optic may also be included on the detector-side. This optic can be used to image the x-rays emanating due to the interaction of the sample with the microbeams incident upon the sample. The focusing optic and an imaging detector may be aligned such that each detector pixel only records x-rays produced by a single microbeam. In some cases, one single detector pixel is aligned to correspond with x-rays from one single microbeam, and the detector pixel may be substantially larger than microbeam diameter. This enables the use of coarser resolution, higher efficiency detectors. In some other cases, multiple pixels may detect x-rays that correspond to a single micro-beam.

The detector within the x-ray interrogation system can be implemented as a pixel-array detector. A pixel array detector can be a one-dimensional detector, for example for an incident x-ray beam in the shape of a fan or pencil x-ray beam, or a two-dimensional detector. The optical axis for the detector can be approximately perpendicular to the incident optical axis. In some instances, the detector optical axis can be within a range of about 70 degrees to about 110 degrees of the incident optical axis.

The object to be illuminated can be moved to perform tomography analysis on the object. By moving the object and illumination beam relatively, volume mapping can be achieved with fluorescence. For example, directing thin pencil beams incident upon the sample at low angles (e.g. 30 degrees relative to the sample surface) will produce x-rays resulting from the volume interaction of the x-rays from the pencil beams in the sample. A detector system such as an imaging optic coupled to a 2D detector capable of providing depth-resolved information can be used to image the x-rays from the sample. By moving the sample or by moving the illumination beam(s) such that there is relative motion, complete 3-dimensional information can be obtained. Use of multiple x-ray microbeams enables faster acquisition times.

As described in the co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/173,711 entitled X-RAY TECHNIQUES USING STRUCTURED ILLUMINATION, enhanced signal-to-noise ratios may be achieved when probing an object under investigation if the signals of multiple x-ray beams are measured recorded individually. And, as described in the co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/401,164 entitled X-RAY MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES USING MULTIPLE MICRO-BEAMS, if the object position is then systematically scanned (for example, in x- and y-coordinates) while being exposed to multiple parallel x-ray beams, a systematic “map” of the properties at the various coordinates where the x-ray beams interact with the object can be created much faster than when using a single x-ray probe to scan the same area. Faster tomographic analysis by rotating and/or scanning the object according to various protocols may also be achieved using parallelized x-ray beams.

Parallelized Micro-Beam for Data Localization.

In some instances, an array of parallel x-ray beams may be used to investigate an object. Both focusing x-ray optics and/or Talbot fringes may be used to form the array of parallel x-ray beams with each having a micron-scale diameter as they illuminate the object being investigated. The x-rays emerging from the object, whether they arise from x-ray fluorescence, x-ray diffraction, or some other x-ray interaction (such as x-ray transmission, x-ray reflection, small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) and the like) can be attributed to the highly localized properties of the object at the interaction point of the x-ray and the object. Therefore, micron-scale properties of the object may be mapped using micron-scale probe x-ray beams.

FIG. 1 illustrates an array of x-ray beams used to investigate an object. The x-ray beam bundle 888 includes x-ray beams 888-1, 888-2, 888-3, and 888-4, which illuminate an object 240 at an angle θ at a set of illumination points 282. The angle of incidence θ may range between grazing incidence (i.e. a fraction of a degree) to as large as 60° or more for some embodiments. In some instances, the beam width is received at an angle of about 40° with respect to the object surface. As illustrated, the bundle of x-rays beams is arranged in a planar 2-D array, forming a “structured” set x-ray beams focused to a set of one dimensional near-micron-sized spots at the illumination points 282 arranged along the x axis. The structured set of x-ray beams may include two or more beams, and in some instances, may include anywhere between 10-100 beams to several thousand beams. The structured beams may be separated such that when the emerging signal is received by a detector, the signal from focused spots do not overlap significantly. In some instances, the beams in an array of structured x-ray beams may be about 10 to 100 microns apart.

In some instances, the bundle of x-rays 888 may be arranged a 3-D array, or a continuous sheet rather than a structured set of beams, and the illumination spots may be some combination of a one dimensional, two dimensional, and/or three-dimensional array. Also, as illustrated, the object 240 may have a surface coating or layer 242 to be examined. In some instances, the object 240 may be of a single, thick material, and may be any type of object, including those made of non-homogeneous materials or multiple layers.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-section view of the system of FIG. 1. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-2, the set of illumination points 282 produce x-ray fluorescence 889 from the surface layer 242. These radiated x-rays 889 are collected by an x-ray optical system 1020 to create focused x-rays 889-F. This x-ray optical system 1020 may in some instances comprise one or more x-ray focusing optics.

The x-ray detector 290 can include an array 292 of pixel sensors, and produces electronics signals corresponding to the x-rays impinging on the pixels, which can be further analyzed by electronic means (not shown). The detector pixel size may, in some instances, be between 50 to 200 microns, and may include an array of pixels, such as for example a 2048×2048 grid of pixels. The detector 290 with its pixel array 292 is positioned such that the x-rays emerging from a single one of the illumination points 282 are focused onto a single pixel of the detector. Analyzing the properties of the electronic signal from that single pixel will produce information about just the micro-sized portion of the object 240 illuminated by the corresponding illumination spot.

The pixel-specific data therefore presents information far more localized than an “average” signal from the same pixel would produce if the object 240 were uniformly illuminated. A detector with a larger pixel size (generally much lower in cost) can therefore be used with no “loss” in resolution, as long as the illumination spot is small and the detector is aligned to maintain a unique one-to-one mapping between each illumination spot and a corresponding detector pixel. The alignment may be achieved by positioning an x-ray optic along an axis that is normal to the axis of the incident beam, such that the optic's focal plane coincides with the incident beam. In some instances, the alignment between the optic and the incident beam may be perpendicular or within a range of being perpendicular, such as plus or minus 20° (between 70°-110°). Additionally, the optical axis of the detector can be aligned to be about perpendicular (or, in some instances, between 70°-110°), to the optic focal plane or incident optical axis. In some embodiments, the detector is placed parallel to the sample surface and a monochromatic incident beam illuminates the sample at or below the critical angle of reflection of the x-ray energy such that the system functions as a high resolution total x-ray fluorescence system.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the object 240 is mounted to a motion control system 505 that may be used to translate the object 240 along x-, y-, and z-axes, as well as rotate the object around various axes. Using the control system 505 to move the object 240 in a pre-programmed manner, for example, systematically collecting data from micron-sized x-ray spots at micron-sized intervals, allows systematic synthesis of high-resolution images of the fluorescence properties of the object 240 with a low-resolution detector. Motion through the distance corresponding to the pitch between x-ray beams along an axis in which x-ray beams are arranged (e.g. the x-axis in FIGS. 1 and 2 ensures that data will be collected by at least one detector pixel for all points along that axis.

The control system 505 may comprise one or more simple translation stages 506, a 5-axis goniometer, or any other known means for systematic object motion known in the art. Motion of the stage may be used to adjust the angle of incidence θ of the x-ray beams by changing the position and orientation of the object 240 relative to the beam(s) 888 while the beam(s) 888 remain fixed in space. Alignment mechanisms 295 may also be provided to adjust the position of the detector pixels to ensure that there is a one-to-one correspondence between illumination spots and detector pixels. Systematic control of the motion of the incident x-ray beam(s), the object and the detector may also be used in some embodiments of the invention. The illumination spots may be scanned in a linear scan, a serpentine scan, a raster scan, or any other pre-determined scanning pattern to allow the collected data to be used to create a “map” of the x-ray properties of the object.

In the system of FIGS. 1-2, x-ray fluorescence from the surface of the object is collected and imaged on the detector. In FIG. 2, the optical system and detector are shown as positioned perpendicular to the surface of the object, as may be practiced in some embodiments. However, various relative orientations of the object, x-ray optical system, and detector may be used, as long as localized fluorescence generation is correlated to the signal from a designated pixel.

X-ray Optics Considerations.

An x-ray optical system may be employed on the x-ray source side and/or on the detector side. In some instances, the optic system is comprised of one or more optics in which at least a portion of the reflecting surface is paraboloidal or ellipsoidal. In some cases, the optic may have a paraboloidal profile followed by an ellipsoidal profile as in the case for a Wolter-type optic. In many embodiments, the optical system may comprise one or more central beamstops to remove unreflected x-rays transmitted through the center of an axially symmetric optic. The optic system may comprise any x-ray optical elements known to those versed in the art. For example, in some instances, an interrogation system can utilize a confocal optic. In some embodiments, the optic can include an aperture element to remove unreflected x-rays transmitted through the sides of the optic. In some instances, the x-ray optical system may include one or more zone plates. In some instances, the optical system may include a double paraboloid that includes a collimating lens or optic and a focusing lens or optic.

Detector Considerations.

As described above, the pitch of the array detector can be matched to the pitch of the multiple x-ray sources, so that each pixel is positioned to only detect x-rays emerging from the interaction of the object with a single micro-beam, and the cross-talk between pixels due to neighboring micro-beams is minimized. Then, the data collection and final reconstruction of the properties of the object may proceed, knowing that the distinct signals from each pixel need not be further deconvolved. If there is cross-talk between micro-beams and pixels, additional image analysis may be able to remove some of the cross-talk if it can be properly calibrated.

This matching is most straightforwardly achieved if the detector pitch is a 1:1 match to a single micro-beam, i.e. the image of each beam is formed onto one pixel in the detector.

However, smaller detector pitches that are integer fractions of the pitch of the micro-beams (e.g. a 2× reduction in pitch, which would indicate in, for example, a 2-D array, that 4 pixels are positioned to collect the x-rays corresponding to a single micro-beam, or a 3× reduction in pitch, which would indicate 9 pixels resent to detect the x-rays corresponding to each micro-beam) may also be used. This may offer some advantages if the x-rays being detected have some spatial structure.

Likewise, larger detector pitches may also be used if the x-rays emerging from the object under examination are imaged onto the detector using an x-ray optical system that creates a magnified x-ray system. This imaging system may be any of the x-ray optical trains discussed or referred to herein. The optic may be implemented as an achromatic imaging optic that has a field of view equal or greater than the micro-beam diameter. For example, an axially symmetric condenser optic that utilizes glancing incidence reflection to reflect x-rays with inner reflecting surfaces that collects a diverging x-ray beam and then focuses the beam can be designed to create a 1:1 image. In some cases, the optic may be used to produce a magnified image.

The detector may be any one of a number of spatially resolving detectors used to form x-ray images known to those versed in the art such as a detector system comprised of a scintillator screen and visible light optic. In some instances, the detector may be an array x-ray detector that converts spatially dependent x-ray intensity to an electronic signal, including linear detectors, flat panel detectors, energy-resolving array detectors, etc.

One type of commonly used x-ray detector comprises a fluorescent screen or scintillator, such as one comprising a layer of cesium iodide (CsI), thallium doped CsI, yttrium aluminium garnet (YAG) or gadolinium sulfoxylate (GOS), that emits visible photons when exposed to x-rays. The visible photons are then detected by an electronic sensor that converts visible intensity into electronic signals, often with the additional formation of a relay image using visible optics that enlarge and magnify the intensity pattern of the photons emitted by the fluorescent screen.

Although high resolution images by placing the scintillator-type detector near the object can be obtained, the overall thickness of the scintillator and electronic elements must be thin enough so that each detector pixel is collecting only x-rays corresponding to a single micro-beam. This may require a thinner scintillator in some embodiments, reducing the ultimate efficiency.

When using relay optics and a magnified image, the electronic detector need not comprise a high resolution sensor itself, and less expensive larger pixel array detectors may be used. However, when relay optics are used, detection is limited to the field of view collected by the x-ray optics, which may in some cases be only on the order of hundreds of microns. Collecting data on larger areas will then need to be “stitched” together from several exposures.

Detectors with additional structure within each pixel may also be employed as well. For example, if the typical detector pixel is 2.5 microns by 2.5 microns (an area of 6.25 micron²), but the micro-beam diameter is only 1 micron, a detector pixel with a central “spot” of scintillator material slightly larger than 1 micron and positioned to correspond to the position of the image of the micro-beam may be created. With this configuration, all the x-rays from the micro-beam should be detected, while reducing the detection of scattered or diffracted x-rays that would otherwise cause spurious signals if the full area of the detector pixel were to be used. Likewise, pixels in which detector structures (such as scintillator material) are only positioned on the outer portion of the pixel, for example, to only detect x-rays scattered at small angles while not detecting the directly transmitted beam, may also be used for some embodiments.

An aperture element may be placed upstream of the detector to ensure minimal contamination of x-rays from adjacent microbeams. In some cases, this may be a line grid. In other cases, this may be a simple metal film with a hole(s) to form aperture(s), or a patterned material in which certain regions have been thinned or comprise materials with low x-ray absorption properties (e.g. carbon fiber, aluminum, etc.) to provide regions that transmit more x-rays. The size and shape of the aperture may be selected to correspond to the size and shape of the region of interest in the object under examination. The dimensions of the aperture may be as small or smaller than the point spread function of an optical train, and may be as small as 0.1 micrometers, or may be larger if larger areas of the object are under examination. The aperture may have the shape of a circle, a slit, a square, a cross, a diamond, an annulus, or a custom designed shape to match particular predetermined shapes that may be anticipated to be found in the object.

3D X-ray Acquisition Using Multi-Beams.

FIG. 3 illustrates x-rays generated from different depths of an object being interrogated with a microbeam. In this example, fluorescent x-rays are being detected.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-section view of an arrangement similar to FIGS. 1-2, but with the detector system positioned to provide depth-resolved imaging. Each of the discrete x-ray beams (such as 888-1, 888-2, etc.) produce an illumination zone 282-Z as the x-ray beam enters the object. Fluorescence x-rays 889-Z emerging from the illumination zone 282-Z are collected by an x-ray optical system 1020, creating focused x-rays 889-ZF that form an image 842-Z of the illumination zone at the detector 290.

X-ray fluorescence 889-Z is collected by the x-ray optical system 1020 and is focused as a line on multiple pixels in the detector 290. The y-axis (and, to the degree that pixels along the direction of propagation can be correlated with the depth into the object using the angle of incidence θ, the z-axis) information is distributed over several pixels, and resolution is in part limited by the y-axis pixel spacing of the detector.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the x-ray optical system 1020 and detector 290 are positioned at an angle to the surface of the object 241, so that they “view” the line of x-ray fluorescence in the illumination zone 282-Z from an angle perpendicular or near perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the x-ray beam, for example between 70-110 degrees, thereby allowing the image 842-Z of the illumination zone 282-Z to be more uniformly in focus. In this embodiment, the x-ray optical system is comprised of one or more x-ray imaging optics.

As was described in the previous embodiment, the object 241 in FIG. 3 is mounted to a motion control system 505 (in this example, with a mount 506) that may be used to translate the object along x-, y-, and z-axes, as well as rotate the object around various axes. Using the control system 505 to move the object 240 in a pre-programmed manner, for example, systematically collecting data from micron-sized x-ray spots at micron-sized intervals, allows systematic synthesis of high-resolution images of the fluorescence properties of the object 241 with detector having lower-resolution, at least in the x-axis. Rotation of the object by 90° allows the portions of the object that were previously aligned along the y-axis (at a resolution dictated by the pixel resolution) to now be positioned along the x-axis (thereby allowing high resolution, localized x-ray fluorescence data collection along this axis as well). In some instances, the rotation is such that the rotation axis intersects the incident x-ray beam within the object.

FIG. 4 illustrates an object under interrogation under a three-dimensional volume. As illustrated in FIG. 4, moving and/or rotating the object along the y-axis allows the sweeping of the x-ray illumination beams over a 3-D volume of the object (shown as 282-VZ). With the suitable correlation of the position of the object and detector over a range of positions and rotations, high-resolution 3-D information about the x-ray fluorescence, and therefore the 3-D composition, of the object may be determined.

Note that, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the x-ray illumination beam(s) 888, x-ray optical system 1020, and the detector 290 will generally be pre-aligned and relatively stationary with each other, while the object 241 mounted in a stage 506 is moved in a pre-programmed manner to allow the illuminating x-rays to illuminate different portions of the object. Algorithms to synchronize the motion (rotations and/or translations) of the stage 506 holding the object 241 that allow the signal from a pixel of the detector to be correlated to the portion of the object being imaged (which may also include convolution with the illuminating x-ray beam dimensions) can provide a complete sweep of the volume under examination and can be derived from the various geometric factors of the arrangement. In some alternative embodiments, the illumination beam, optical system, and detector system may move while the object remains stationary.

Multi-beam X-ray Diffraction.

FIG. 5 illustrates utilizing x-ray diffraction for interrogating an object. X-ray diffraction can be used to determine information about the structure of an object, and can be interpreted using an illumination arrangement comprising multiple x-ray beams like that illustrated in FIG. 1.

As shown in the schematic cross-section illustration of FIG. 5, the x-rays diffracted emerge at specific angles related to the local structure of the material from the structures. An x-ray imaging optical system will generally have a small acceptance aperture, and will not collect all the diffracted x-rays. So, for x-ray diffraction measurements, direct detection of the diffracted x-rays is achieved without an imaging optic, but instead by using an array x-ray detector positioned some distance away from the object.

It should be noted that some x-ray fluorescence may also be generated by the exposure of the object to illuminating x-rays, and that a detector simply positioned in space at some distance from the object will detect not only diffracted x-rays, but any fluorescence x-rays that also fall on the detector. The fluorescence x-rays, however, will tend to have a lower energy than the diffracted x-rays, and so an energy discriminating detector may be used to identify which signals arise from fluorescence and remove them. An x-ray cutoff filter may also be placed between the object and the detector (not illustrated in FIG. 5) to absorb the fluorescence x-rays while allowing higher energy diffracted x-rays to be transmitted. Objects comprising iron (Fe), for example, may produce strong x-ray fluorescence that needs to be filtered or otherwise mitigated to prevent signals from the detection of iron fluorescence from saturating the x-ray detector.

The object 2000 of FIG. 5 comprises a substrate 2001 and 3 layers: A, B, and C, each marked with a different fill pattern to symbolically represent different physical structures within (with layer B additionally being shown as being a non-homogeneous layer).

One or more x-ray beams 882 converge onto the object 2000 at an angle of incidence θ_(i) with a predetermined beam diameter at the object. The beam(s) may be an array of focused beams or a Talbot interference pattern, as was discussed in the previous examples, or some other configuration producing points of localized illumination at the object 2000. The angle of incidence θ_(i) may range between grazing incidence (i.e. a fraction of a degree) to as large as 60° or more for some embodiments. As the beam or beams 882 interact with the various structures in the object, diffracted x-rays at various angles may emerge. These may be due to Bragg reflections from the atomic layers making up the local crystal structure, or other scattering effects from within the material.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, each of the layers, A, B, and C, diffracts x-rays from the incident beam 882. For this illustration, only a single beam is shown emerging from each of the layers (ray R_(A) at angle θ_(A) from layer A, ray R_(B) at angle θ_(B) from layer B, ray R_(C) at angle θ_(C) from layer C), although in practice a plurality, for example several to many, diffracted rays of various intensities and at a plurality, for example several to many, different angles will emerge from each material structure.

As is well known in the art of x-ray diffraction, the relationship between incident angles, diffracted angles, and diffracted x-ray intensity can be used to infer information about the structure of the material diffracting the x-rays (inferring spacing and orientation of atomic planes, etc.). A detector placed at a known distance from the object (shown as a distance d_(a) and oriented at an angle θ_(D) relative to the surface of the object) allows the inference of many of these variables. The diffracted x-rays can be used, for example, to generate crystallographic information for the object.

However, a single measurement of the intensity of diffracted spots at a particular distance from the object leaves some ambiguity as to the exact position of origin within the object. And, as shown in FIG. 5, when the detector is placed at a position in which two of the diffracted rays happen to be coincident (as shown for rays R_(A) and R_(B)) then an x-ray intensity signal from the pixels of the detector cannot be unambiguously assigned to have an origin at any particular position.

This can be addressed by moving the detector to a second position and making another set of measurements. In most cases, if the separation distance d_(b) between the first position and the second position is known and well chosen, the trajectory of rays from the object, the first position, and the second position can be unambiguously defined, and the position of origin within the object for a given ray can be determined. In some cases, making still additional measurements at additional positions may further add accuracy and reliability to the measurement.

As was described in the previous embodiments, the object 2000 in FIG. 5 is also mounted to a motion control system 2505 (in this example, with a mount 2506) that may be used to translate the object along x-, y-, and z-axes, as well as rotate the object around various axes. Hence, moving the object and x-ray excitation beam relatively may allow for diffraction x-rays to be determined and structural properties of the object to be determined. Using the control system 2505 to move the object 2000 in a pre-programmed manner, for example, systematically collecting diffraction data from micron-sized x-ray spots at micron-sized intervals at a plurality of distances and at known relative angles allows the structural properties of the object 2000 to be determined. Motion of the stage 2506 may be used to adjust the angle of incidence θ_(i) of the x-ray beam(s) 882 by changing the position and orientation of the object 2000 relative to the beam(s) 882 while the beam(s) 882 remain fixed in space. By adjusting the angle of incidence, x-rays additional diffraction angles or at higher orders may also be detected.

In some instances, the object and incident x-ray beam can be moved, relatively to each other, so that diffraction information is gathered from a larger volume of the object.

Also shown in FIG. 5 are a position and angle controller 2296 for the detector 290, and an additional controller 2298 to coordinate the motion of the object 2000 and the detector 290.

As in the previously described embodiments, the array of beams that illuminate the object 2000 can be a single beam, a single planar array of beams, a 2-D array of beams, or a 3-D array of beams, and can be structured with a beam diameter on a micron-scale. The arrays can be created by imaging a structured x-ray source using x-ray imaging optics, created as a set of Talbot interference fringes, or some by other means that may be known to those skilled in the art. However, one consideration for diffractive measurements is that the separation between the x-ray beam illumination spots should be large enough to allow the clear calculation of the position of origin and trajectory of the diffracted beam.

FIG. 6 illustrates an interrogation system having multiple detector systems. In this embodiment, two detector systems are simultaneously employed. The first detector system comprises a first spatially-resolved detector 290 (typically a 2-D array x-ray detector) placed at a first known position relative to the incident x-rays. This identifies one set of positions for the various diffracted rays.

Between the object 2000 and first detector 290, a scintillator 2280 is placed at a second known position relative to the incident x-rays. The scintillator absorbs some of the diffracted x-rays and emits visible photons, generally with the visible photon intensity in proportion to the x-ray intensity. A thin mirror 2284 for visible light (and relatively transparent to x-rays) is placed to reflect the visible light from the scintillator and, using an optical imaging system 2020, form an image of the scintillator onto a visible photon detector 2290. If the visible photon detector 2290 is an array detector, and the relative positions and angles of the visible photon detector 2290, the scintillator 2280, the x-ray array detector 290 are all known relative to the object 2000 and the incident x-ray beam(s) 882, the relative angles and x-ray intensities of the diffracted rays can be inferred using information from the first detector 290 and the second detector simultaneously by means of an analysis algorithm in an analysis system 2398 without physical motion of a detector.

FIG. 7A illustrates a method 700 for interrogating an object using fluorescence x-rays. The method begins at step 710 with forming a planar array of x-ray micro-beams. The x-ray micro-beams may be formed by an array of x-ray micro-sources imaged by an x-ray imaging optic, transmitting x-rays from at least one source through a plurality of apertures, or variations of these techniques. An x-ray excitation beam is directed upon an object to generate fluorescent x-rays, wherein the x-ray excitation beam includes a planar array of x-ray micro-beams, at step 720. The individual x-ray micro-beams can each have a diameter smaller than 15 microns, and the planar array of x-ray micro-beams has an angle of incidence less than 70 degrees with respect to the object surface.

The fluorescent x-rays are imaged with an x-ray imaging system at step 730. The x-ray imaging system can include an x-ray imaging optical system and an energy resolving and spatially resolving x-ray detector. The x-ray imaging optical system collects fluorescent x-rays generated by an object when illuminated by the x-ray excitation beam positioned such that its object plane is coplanar with the plane of the planar array of microbeams within the depth of field of the x-ray imaging optical system. The energy resolving and spatially resolving x-ray detector is positioned at the image plane of the x-ray optical imaging system.

FIG. 7B illustrates a method 735 for interrogating an object using diffraction x-rays. An array of micro-beams is formed at step 740. The micro-beam array can be a two-dimensional array of a planar array of x-ray micro-beams, and the micro-beam array can be formed by an array of x-ray micro-sources imaged by an x-ray imaging optic, by transmitting x-rays from at least one source through a plurality of apertures, and/or by creating a Talbot interference pattern.

An incident x-ray beam is directed upon an object at step 750 to generate diffracted x-rays. The incident x-ray beam includes an array of x-ray micro-beams, and the individual x-ray micro-beams each can have a diameter smaller than 15 microns. The diffraction patterns can be recorded with a spatially resolving x-ray detector positioned a distance away from the object at step 760. Additional diffraction patterns can be recorded at step 770 by rotating the object relative to the incident beam. The rotation is such that the rotation axis intersects the incident x-ray beam within the object.

In some instances, diffraction patterns may be recorded at multiple distances away from the object to establish the direction of a diffracted x-ray. For example, at step 760, the spatially resolving x-ray detector can record diffraction patterns at a first distance away from the object and again when the detector is at a second distance away from the object. In another example, a first detector may record diffraction patterns at a first distance from the object and a second detector may record diffraction patterns at a second distance from the object, where the first detector is a partially transmitting detector.

Additional Concepts

The illuminating x-rays may be of any energy, but certain embodiments may use x-rays with a mean energy between 3 keV and 70 keV. Likewise, some embodiments may use x-rays for which the x-ray spectrum has an energy bandwidth of ±20%.

The dimensions of the x-ray beams as they interact with the object have been described generally as “micron-sized” beams, but x-ray beams with diameters as small as 100 nm or anywhere in the range from 100 nm to 10 microns may also be used in some embodiments. X-ray beams with varying dimensions (i.e. non-uniform beam diameters) may also be used in some embodiments.

The multiple x-ray beams may be produced in any of several ways. For instance, by an imaging x-ray optic placed downstream of an x-ray source with a target of separated micro-emitters. In other embodiments, this may be produced with an x-ray source with a linear or 2D array of apertures placed in front of it. In still other embodiments, this can be achieved by obtaining the Talbot effect using interferometry. Still other embodiments may comprise multiple discrete micro x-ray sources.

In some instances, an x-ray imaging optic placed upstream from the sample and an x-ray imaging optical system placed between the sample and the detector may each include one or more optics having one or more interior surface coatings and/or layers. In some embodiments, the coating can be of materials that have a high atomic number, such as platinum or iridium, to increase the critical angle of total external reflection. In some instances, the coating may be a single layer coating. In some instances, multilayer coating comprised of many layers (e.g. several hundred) of two or more alternating materials. Layers may be of uniform thickness or may vary in thickness between layers or within a single layer, such as in the cases of depth-graded multilayers or laterally-graded multilayers. The multilayer coating will narrow the bandwidth of the reflected x-ray beam and can serve as a monochromator. The materials used in the multilayer coating may be of any known to those versed the art.

The x-ray source producing the array of x-ray beams may also comprise an x-ray filter or monochromator (optional) to provide x-rays of a specific energy or a specific distribution of energies. Embodiments in which x-ray exposure is carried out using different x-ray energies at different times may also be designed, inferring information about the object from the spectral response of the x-ray signals as correlated with the exposure energy.

It should also be noted that, although embodiments directed towards fluorescence and diffraction have been separately described (one illustrated using an embodiment having imaging optics, the other illustrated using a detector positioned to detect direct diffraction from the object without imaging), systems in which both fluorescence and diffraction are detected, either with the same, energy resolving detector, or with two different detectors, simultaneously or in sequence, are possible as well. Embodiments incorporating x-ray fluorescence and/or x-ray diffraction along with other x-ray measurement techniques (e.g. x-ray transmission, x-ray reflection, small-angle x-ray scattering, etc.) are also possible. 

1.-23. (canceled)
 24. An x-ray interrogation system comprising: an x-ray source configured to generate and direct an array of x-ray beams to irradiate an object, each x-ray beam of the array of x-ray beams having a cross-sectional width smaller than 15 microns at a surface of the object; an optical system configured to collect x-rays emanated from the object when irradiated by the array of x-ray beams, the optical system comprising an object plane that is coplanar, within a depth of field of the optical system, with a plane of two or more of the x-ray beams of the array of x-ray beams; and an energy-resolving and spatially-resolving x-ray detector positioned at an image plane of the optical system.
 25. The system of claim 24, wherein the array of x-ray beams comprises a planar array of x-ray beams.
 26. The system of claim 24, wherein the x-ray beams of the array of x-ray beams are parallel to one another.
 27. The system of claim 24, wherein the two or more x-ray beams are spaced apart from one another by a distance in a range of 10 microns to 100 microns.
 28. The system of claim 24, wherein the array of x-ray beams has an angle of incidence less than 70 degrees with respect to the surface of the object.
 29. The system of claim 24, wherein the optical system comprises at least one x-ray optic having an inner surface with at least one portion of the inner surface having a shape of a portion of a quadric profile.
 30. The system of claim 24, wherein the optical system comprises a Wolter optic.
 31. The system of claim 24, further comprising a stage configured to hold the object and to move the object relative to the x-ray beams such that the x-ray detector receives the x-rays emanated from a volume of the object.
 32. The system of claim 24, wherein the x-ray detector comprises a plurality of pixels, each pixel of the plurality of pixels configured to detect x-rays emanated from the object due to irradiation by a corresponding single x-ray beam of the array of x-ray beams.
 33. The system of claim 24, wherein the x-rays emanated from the object comprise fluorescence x-rays generated by the object.
 34. An x-ray diffraction analysis system comprising: an x-ray source configured to generate and direct an array of x-ray beams to irradiate an object, each x-ray beam of the array of x-ray beams having a cross-sectional width smaller than 15 microns at a surface of the object; a stage configured to hold the object and to rotate the object relative to the array of x-ray beams; and a spatially-resolving x-ray detector positioned a first distance from the object and configured to record a plurality of diffraction patterns of diffracted x-rays from the object, the plurality of diffraction patterns recorded with the object having a plurality of different orientations relative to the array of x-ray beams.
 35. The system of claim 34, wherein the stage is configured to rotate the object about a rotation axis that intersects the array of x-ray beams within the object.
 36. The system of claim 34, wherein the array of x-ray beams comprises a two-dimensional array of x-ray beams.
 37. The system of claim 34, wherein the array of x-ray beams comprises a planar array of x-ray beams.
 38. The system of claim 34, wherein the x-ray source comprises a grating configured to generate a Talbot interference pattern comprising the array of x-ray beams.
 39. The system of claim 34, wherein the x-ray source comprises an array of x-ray sub-sources and an x-ray optic configured to transmit x-rays from the array of x-ray sub-sources onto the object.
 40. The system of claim 34, wherein the spatially-resolving x-ray detector is configured to be moved to a position at a second distance from the object and to record the diffracted x-rays at the second distance.
 41. The system of claim 34, further comprising an x-ray filter positioned between the object and the Spatially-resolving x-ray detector, the x-ray filter configured to prevent undiffracted x-rays from the object from reaching the spatially-resolving x-ray detector.
 42. The system of claim 34, wherein the stage is configured to move the object relative to the array of x-ray beams such that the spatially-resolving x-ray detector receives the diffracted x-rays from a volume of the object. 